Psych Test 3

In
schizophrenia, these reflect an excess or distortion of normal
functions

What are the four symptoms of Schizophrenia?

These
beliefs are not based in reality and usually involve misinterpretation of
perception or experience.
They are
the most common of schizophrenic symptoms.

These
usually involve seeing or hearing things that don't exist, although
hallucinations can be in any of the senses. Hearing voices is the most common
hallucination among people with schizophrenia.

Difficulty
speaking and organizing thoughts may result in stopping speech midsentence or
putting together meaningless words, sometimes known as "word salad."

This
may show in a number of ways, ranging from childlike silliness to unpredictable
agitation.

refers to a diminishment
or absence of characteristics of normal function. They may appear months or
years before positive symptoms. They include:

Loss of
interest in everyday activities

1. Appearing to
lack emotion

2. Reduced
ability to plan or carry out activities

3. Neglect of
personal hygiene

4. Social
withdrawal

5. Loss of
motivation

involves problems with
thought processes. These symptoms may be the most disabling in schizophrenia,
because they interfere with the ability to perform routine daily tasks. A
person with schizophrenia may be born with these symptoms, but they may worsen
when the disorder starts. They include:

1. Problems with
making sense of information

2. Difficulty
paying attention

3. Memory
problems

Schizophrenia also can affect mood,
causing depression or mood swings. In addition, people with schizophrenia often
seem inappropriate and odd, causing others to avoid them, which leads to social
isolation.

Mental illness is one of the main contributors to homelessness. Schizophrenia and homelessness are dual conditions that plague nearly every industrialized country in the world. The crisis is compounded by the fact that many schizophrenics are drug addicts and/or alcoholics. Treatment is difficult, if not impossible, and funding is a continuing issue. With the challenges of treatment, increased legal issues, schizophrenics' tendency toward violence and the fact that mentally ill homeless remain homeless longer than the general homeless population, homeless schizophrenics have become modern society's untouchables. According to HealthMad.com, in 2007, approximately 200,000 people were schizophrenic and homeless.